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QMI AGENCY

Jun 4, 2012

, Last Updated: 4:43 PM ET

New moms might be lonely when they're on maternity leave and turn to Facebook to help them cope, a new survey has found.

The poll of 304 U.S. parents - 154 mothers and 150 fathers - found 44% of new moms say they take to Facebook more often after their baby is born compared to before childbirth, while 27% said their time on the social media website decreased.

For fathers, 31% said they were spending more time checking timelines and updating statuses.

The Ohio State University researchers said Facebook may be a way for women who are used to being in constant contact with people at work or social settings to cope with being at home with an infant.

The majority of mothers - 58% - visited their accounts at least once a day, compared to 44% of fathers.

Nearly all women - 98% - said they had uploaded photos of their child to Facebook, while 83% of fathers did so. As well, 93% of moms and 71% of dads said it was likely or very likely their photos would be acknowledged by Facebook friends with either a comment or a "like."

Both mothers and fathers who said it was likely their Facebook friends would comment on photos also reported higher levels of satisfaction in their parenting role.

"Mothers who experience higher levels of stress are looking for social support on Facebook so they visit more often," co-author Sarah Schoppe-Sullivan said in a release Monday.

"I know that I see a lot of Facebook posts from new mothers talking about how their child wouldn't sleep, or how their second child was harder than their first. Stressed-out mothers may be using Facebook to vent and to find help."